A labile hydride strategy for the synthesis of heavily nitridized BaTiO3

The spectroscopy of hydride in single crystals of SrTiO3 perovskite

Under reducing conditions, SrTiO3 perovskite can exchange up to 20% of its O2- ions for H- (hydride), greatly influencing its material properties. This not only presents intriguing possibilities for material design, but also for hydrogen sequestration in the deep earth, where perovskite-structured minerals are abundant. However, uncertainties remain surrounding hydride incorporation in SrTiO3, including details of the hydride structural state, and how hydride interacts with the broader defect chemistry of SrTiO3. Additionally, experimental studies of hydride in SrTiO3 and other perovskites may face analytical limitations. The most common methods for characterizing hydride, namely 1H NMR, may not be suitable in all experimental contexts, including materials with relatively low hydride concentrations and in situ high-pressure, high-temperature experiments. Here, we present an investigation of hydride in single crystals of SrTiO3 focused on detailed spectroscopic measurements. Through a combination of density functional theory (DFT)-assisted Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy, we observe structural hydride and its effects on the electronic transitions in SrTiO3. These results are compared directly against 1H NMR. We find that, although hydride is sometimes difficult to identify via FTIR, infrared spectroscopy is significantly more sensitive to hydride than 1H NMR. We also find that DFT makes accurate predictions about the spectroscopic behavior of hydride in SrTiO3, pointing to the value of ab initio techniques in future studies.

Recent Progress and Future Prospects of Anions O-site Doped Perovskite Oxides in Electrocatalysis for Various Electrochemical Systems

With the rapid development of novel energy conversion and storage technologies, there is a growing demand for enhanced performance in a wide range of electrocatalysts. Perovskite oxides (ABO3 ) have caused widespread concerns due to their excellent electrocatalytic properties, low cost, stable and reliable performance. In recent years, the research on anion O-site doping of perovskite oxides has been a cynosure, which is considered as a promising route for enhancing performance. However, a systematic review summarizing the research progress of anion-doped perovskite oxides is still lacking. Therefore, this review mainly introduces the elements and strategies of various common anions doped at O-site of perovskite oxides, analyzes their influence on the physical and chemical properties of perovskites, and separately concludes their applications in electrocatalysis. This review will provide ideas and prospects for the development of subsequent anion doping strategies for high performance perovskite oxides.

Organic Species-Intercalated Vanadium Oxide for Sodium-Ion Battery: Mixed-Anion Coordination Effect, Enhanced d-p Orbital Hybridization, and Topotactic Phase Conversion Induced by N-Substitution

Sodium-ion battery (SIB) is a reasonable alternative to lithium-ion battery (LIB) in the field of grid-scale energy storage systems. Unfortunately, the development of appropriate cathode material is a bottleneck in the field of SIB. In the present work, (p-TQ)-VO, formulated as (p-TQ)0.2V2O5·0.38H2O, was synthesized based on a facile hydrothermal reaction of V2O5 and methylhydroquinone (p-HTQ). And when V2O5 was replaced by VN, (p-TQ)-VN, formulated as (p-TQ)0.22V2(O/N)5, was prepared instead. The (p-TQ)-VO sample displays good electrochemical performance as the SIB cathode. And (p-TQ)-VN shows a much higher capacity at a small current density, and it can maintain structural integrity with partial topotactic phase transformation into NaxV2O5 during the discharge/charge process. A series of characterizations of (p-TQ)-VO and (p-TQ)-VN reveals the successful intercalation of p-TQ into the layered V2O5 with a (001) lattice spacing of 13.7 and 10.7 Å, respectively. In (p-TQ)-VN, partial terminal oxygen (Ot) atoms from the V-O-V layer have been substituted by N atoms, which can boost the orbital hybridization of V 3d and Ot 2p, shorten the V-Ot bonds in the c-axial direction, and elongate the V-O bonds in the ab plane with compressed {VO4N2} octahedra, giving rise to mixed-anion coordination effect. As a result, the enhanced electron densities around the Ot atoms of the V-O-V layer can facilitate the affinity toward the inserted Na+ ions, leading to partial phase conversion into NaNO2/NaNO3. Moreover, density functional density (DFT) calculations reveal that the N-incorporation can improve electron conductivity with richer molecular orbital energy levels, resulting in multistep redox reactions and enhanced capacity.

A new family of anti-perovskite oxyhydrides with tetrahedral GaO4 polyanions

New solid compounds A3-xGaO4H1-y (A = Sr, Ba; x ∼0.15, y ∼0.3), which are the first oxyhydrides containing gallium ions, have been synthesized by high-pressure synthesis. Powder X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments revealed that the series adopts an anti-perovskite structure consisting of hydride-anion-centered HA6 octahedra with tetrahedral GaO4 polyanions, wherein the A- and H-sites show partial defect. Formation energy calculations from the raw materials support that stoichiometric Ba3GaO4H is thermodynamically stable with a wide band gap. Annealing the A = Ba powder under flowing Ar and O2 gas suggests topochemical H- desorption and O2-/H- exchange reactions, respectively.

Anion redox as a means to derive layered manganese oxychalcogenides with exotic intergrowth structures

Topochemistry enables step-by-step conversions of solid-state materials often leading to metastable structures that retain initial structural motifs. Recent advances in this field revealed many examples where relatively bulky anionic constituents were actively involved in redox reactions during (de)intercalation processes. Such reactions are often accompanied by anion-anion bond formation, which heralds possibilities to design novel structure types disparate from known precursors, in a controlled manner. Here we present the multistep conversion of layered oxychalcogenides Sr₂MnO₂Cu_1.5Ch₂ (Ch = S, Se) into Cu-deintercalated phases where antifluorite type [Cu_1.5Ch₂]^2.5- slabs collapsed into two-dimensional arrays of chalcogen dimers. The collapse of the chalcogenide layers on deintercalation led to various stacking types of Sr₂MnO₂Ch₂ slabs, which formed polychalcogenide structures unattainable by conventional high-temperature syntheses. Anion-redox topochemistry is demonstrated to be of interest not only for electrochemical applications but also as a means to design complex layered architectures.

Critical role of hydrogen for superconductivity in nickelates

The newly discovered nickelate superconductors so far only exist in epitaxial thin films synthesized by a topotactic reaction with metal hydrides1. This method changes the nickelates from the perovskite to an infinite-layer structure by deintercalation of apical oxygens1-3. Such a chemical reaction may introduce hydrogen (H), influencing the physical properties of the end materials4-9. Unfortunately, H is insensitive to most characterization techniques and is difficult to detect because of its light weight. Here, in optimally Sr doped Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2H epitaxial films, secondary-ion mass spectroscopy shows abundant H existing in the form of Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2Hx (x ≅ 0.2-0.5). Zero resistivity is found within a very narrow H-doping window of 0.22 ≤ x ≤ 0.28, showing unequivocally the critical role of H in superconductivity. Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering demonstrates the existence of itinerant interstitial s (IIS) orbitals originating from apical oxygen deintercalation. Density functional theory calculations show that electronegative H- occupies the apical oxygen sites annihilating IIS orbitals, reducing the IIS-Ni 3d orbital hybridization. This leads the electronic structure of H-doped Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2Hx to be more two-dimensional-like, which might be relevant for the observed superconductivity. We highlight that H is an important ingredient for superconductivity in epitaxial infinite-layer nickelates.

Computation-accelerated discovery of the K2NiF4-type oxyhydrides combing density functional theory and machine learning approach

The emerging K₂NiF₄-type oxyhydrides with unique hydride ions (H⁻) and O^2- coexisting in the anion sublattice offer superior functionalities for numerous applications. However, the exploration and innovations of the oxyhydrides are challenged by their rarity as a limited number of compounds reported in experiments, owing to the stringent laboratory conditions. Herein, we employed a suite of computations involving ab initio methods, informatics and machine learning to investigate the stability relationship of the K₂NiF₄-type oxyhydrides. The comprehensive stability map of the oxyhydrides chemical space was constructed to identify 76 new compounds with good thermodynamic stabilities using the high-throughput computations. Based on the established database, we reveal geometric constraints and electronegativities of cationic elements as significant factors governing the oxyhydrides stabilities via informatics tools. Besides fixed stoichiometry compounds, mixed-cation oxyhydrides can provide promising properties due to the enhancement of compositional tunability. However, the exploration of the mixed compounds is hindered by their huge quantity and the rarity of stable oxyhydrides. Therefore, we propose a two-step machine learning workflow consisting of a simple transfer learning to discover 114 formable oxyhydrides from thousands of unknown mixed compositions. The predicted high H⁻ conductivities of the representative oxyhydrides indicate their suitability as energy conversion materials. Our study provides an insight into the oxyhydrides chemistry which is applicable to other mixed-anion systems, and demonstrates an efficient computational paradigm for other materials design applications, which are challenged by the unavailable and highly unbalanced materials database.

Expanding the hydride chemistry: antiperovskites A3MO4H (A = Rb, Cs; M = Mo, W) introducing the transition oxometalate hydrides

The four compounds A3MO4H (A = Rb, Cs; M = Mo, W) are introduced as the first members of the new material class of the transition oxometalate hydrides. The compounds are accessible via a thermal synthesis route with carefully controlled conditions. Their crystal structures were solved by neutron diffraction of the deuterated analogues. Rb3MoO4D, Cs3MoO4D and Cs3WO4D crystallize in the antiperovskite-like K3SO4F-structure type, while Rb3WO4D adopts a different orthorhombic structure. 2H MAS NMR, Raman spectroscopy and elemental analysis prove the abundance of hydride ions next to oxometalate ions and experimental findings are supported by quantum chemical calculations. The tetragonal phases are direct and wide band gap semiconductors arising from hydride states, whereas Rb3WO4H shows a unique, peculiar valence band structure dominated by hydride states.

Recent Advances in Perovskite Catalysts for Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Hydrogen is considered a promising clean energy vector with the features of high energy capacity and zero-carbon emission. Water splitting is an environment-friendly and effective route for producing high-purity hydrogen, which contains two important half-cell reactions, namely, the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). At the heart of water splitting is high-performance electrocatalysts that efficiently improve the rate and selectivity of key chemical reactions. Recently, perovskite oxides have emerged as promising candidates for efficient water splitting electrocatalysts owing to their low cost, high electrochemical stability, and compositional and structural flexibility allowing for the achievement of high intrinsic electrocatalytic activity. In this review, we summarize the present research progress in the design, development, and application of perovskite oxides for electrocatalytic water splitting. The emphasis is on the innovative synthesis strategies and a deeper understanding of structure–activity relationships through a combination of systematic characterization and theoretical research. Finally, the main challenges and prospects for the further development of more efficient electrocatalysts based on perovskite oxides are proposed. It is expected to give guidance for the development of novel non-noble metal catalysts in electrochemical water splitting.

Fluorine-Assisted Low-Temperature Synthesis of GaN:ZnO-Related Solid Solutions with Visible-Light Photoresponse

Wurtzite-structured Ga_1-xZn_x(N,O,F) was successfully synthesized by nitridation of mixtures of a Ga-containing oxide and ZnF₂. The addition of ZnF₂ lowered the nitridation temperature for the synthesis of Ga_1-xZn_x(N,O,F) to 823 K, even when bulk ZnGa₂O₄ was used as a paired precursor. This lowering of the synthesis temperature was ascribed to the enhancement of nitridation through the addition of fluorine. The low-temperature nitridation achieved by the addition of fluorine suppressed the volatilization of Zn compared with that during the synthesis of a GaN:ZnO solid solution by a conventional high-temperature ammonolysis reaction. The higher concentration of Zn, as well as the higher N concentration in Ga_1-xZn_x(N,O,F) achieved through the fluorine-assisted nitridation, led to a redshift of the absorption edge of Ga_1-xZn_x(N,O,F) to 560 nm compared with that of GaN:ZnO synthesized by the conventional ammonolysis reaction. The visible-light absorption of Ga_1-xZn_x(N,O,F) can be used to drive the photoelectrochemical oxidation of water.

Hexagonal BaTiO(3-x)Hx Oxyhydride as a Water-Durable Catalyst Support for Chemoselective Hydrogenation

We present heavily H^--doped BaTiO_(3-x)H_x (x ≈ 1) as an efficient and water-durable catalyst support for Pd nanoparticles applicable to liquid-phase hydrogenation reactions. The BaTiO_(3-x)H_x oxyhydride with a hexagonal crystal structure (P6₃/mmc) was synthesized by the direct reaction of BaH₂ and TiO₂ at 800 °C under a stream of hydrogen, and the estimated chemical composition was BaTiO_2.01H_0.96. Density functional theory calculations and magnetic measurements indicated that such heavy H^- doping results in a metallic nature with delocalized electrons and a low work function. The potential of BaTiO_(3-x)H_x as a catalyst support was examined for the selective hydrogenation of unsaturated C-C bonds by Pd nanoparticles deposited on BaTiO_(3-x)H_x. We found that the turnover frequency for phenylacetylene hydrogenation per total amount of Pd in Pd/BaTiO_(3-x)H_x was the highest among the supported Pd catalysts reported to date. The strong electronic charge transfer between Pd and the support, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, can be attributed to be responsible for such high catalytic activity. The combination of the BaTiO_(3-x)H_x support and Pd nanoparticles provides for the selective hydrogenation of unsaturated C-C bonds and highlights the validity of catalyst design that integrates H^- in support materials.

High-Pressure Synthesis of Transition-Metal Oxyhydrides with Double-Perovskite Structures

We report on the high-pressure synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of four novel transition-metal oxyhydrides─Ba₂NaVO₃H₃, Ba₂NaVO_2.4H_3.6, Ba₂NaCrO_2.2H_3.8, and Ba₂NaTiO₃H₃─crystallizing in the double-perovskite structure. Notably, they have a higher hydride content in their anion sites (50%-63%) than known oxyhydrides with perovskite structures do (≤33%). Vanadium and chromium oxyhydrides exhibited Curie-Weiss magnetic susceptibilities with no magnetic ordering down to 2 K, which may be due to geometrical frustration in their face-centered lattices and weak magnetic interactions. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the transition metal-hydride bonding nature of the prepared oxyhydrides is more covalent than that observed for known perovskite oxyhydrides, as evidenced by the shorter bond lengths of the former. Remarkably, our double-perovskite oxyhydrides with a high hydride content may possess a bonding character intermediate between those of known oxyhydrides and hydrides.

The electronic properties of SrTiO3-δ with oxygen vacancies or substitutions

The electronic properties, including bandgap and conductivity, are critical for nearly all applications of multifunctional perovskite oxide ferroelectrics. Here we analysed possibility to induce semiconductor behaviour in these materials, which are basically insulators, by replacement of several percent of oxygen atoms with nitrogen, hydrogen, or vacancies. We explored this approach for one of the best studied members of the large family of ABO3 perovskite ferroelectrics - strontium titanate (SrTiO3). The atomic and electronic structure of defects were theoretically investigated using the large-scale first-principles calculations for both bulk crystal and thin films. The results of calculations were experimentally verified by studies of the optical properties at photon energies from 25 meV to 8.8 eV for in-situ prepared thin films. It was demonstrated that substitutions and vacancies prefer locations at surfaces or phase boundaries over those inside crystallites. At the same time, local states in the bandgap can be produced by vacancies located both inside the crystals and at the surface, but by nitrogen substitution only inside crystals. Wide-bandgap insulator phases were evidenced for all defects. Compared to pure SrTiO3 films, bandgap widening due to defects was theoretically predicted and experimentally detected.

Halide-Doping Effect of Strontium Cobalt Oxide Electrocatalyst and the Induced Activity for Oxygen Evolution in an Alkaline Solution

Perovskites of strontium cobalt oxyhalides having the chemical formulae Sr2CoO4-xHx (H = F, Cl, and Br; x = 0 and 1) were prepared using a solid-phase synthesis approach and comparatively evaluated as electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution in an alkaline solution. The perovskite electrocatalyst crystal phase, surface morphology, and composition were examined by X-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping. The electrochemical investigations of the oxyhalides catalysts showed that the doping of F, Cl, or Br into the Sr2CoO4 parent oxide enhances the electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with the onset potential as well as the potential required to achieve a current density of 10 mA/cm2 shifting to lower potential values in the order of Sr2CoO4 (1.64, 1.73) > Sr2CoO3Br (1.61, 1.65) > Sr2CoO3Cl (1.53, 1.60) > Sr2CoO3F (1.50, 1.56) V vs. HRE which indicates that Sr2CoO3F is the most active electrode among the studied catalysts under static and steady-state conditions. Moreover, Sr2CoO3F demonstrates long-term stability and remarkably less charge transfer resistance (Rct = 36.8 ohm) than the other oxyhalide counterparts during the OER. The doping of the perovskites with halide ions particularly the fluoride-ion enhances the surface oxygen vacancy density due to electron withdrawal away from the Co-atom which improves the ionic and electronic conductivity as well as the electrochemical activity of the oxygen evolution in alkaline solution.

Selectivity in Yttrium Manganese Oxide Synthesis via Local Chemical Potentials in Hyperdimensional Phase Space

In sharp contrast to molecular synthesis, materials synthesis is generally presumed to lack selectivity. The few known methods of designing selectivity in solid-state reactions have limited scope, such as topotactic reactions or strain stabilization. This contribution describes a general approach for searching large chemical spaces to identify selective reactions. This novel approach explains the ability of a nominally "innocent" Na₂CO₃ precursor to enable the metathesis synthesis of single-phase Y₂Mn₂O₇: an outcome that was previously only accomplished at extreme pressures and which cannot be achieved with closely related precursors of Li₂CO₃ and K₂CO₃ under identical conditions. By calculating the required change in chemical potential across all possible reactant-product interfaces in an expanded chemical space including Y, Mn, O, alkali metals, and halogens, using thermodynamic parameters obtained from density functional theory calculations, we identify reactions that minimize the thermodynamic competition from intermediates. In this manner, only the Na-based intermediates minimize the distance in the hyperdimensional chemical potential space to Y₂Mn₂O₇, thus providing selective access to a phase which was previously thought to be metastable. Experimental evidence validating this mechanism for pathway-dependent selectivity is provided by intermediates identified from in situ synchrotron-based crystallographic analysis. This approach of calculating chemical potential distances in hyperdimensional compositional spaces provides a general method for designing selective solid-state syntheses that will be useful for gaining access to metastable phases and for identifying reaction pathways that can reduce the synthesis temperature, and cost, of technological materials.

Barium Titanium Oxynitride from Ammonia-Free Nitridation of Reduced BaTiO3

We investigated the nitridation of reduced BaTiO3, BaTiO2.60H0.08, corresponding to an oxyhydride with a large concentration of O defects (>10%). The material is readily nitrided under flowing N2 gas at temperatures between 400 and 450 °C to yield oxynitrides BaTiO2.6Nx (x = 0.2−0.22) with a slightly tetragonally distorted perovskite structure, a ≈ 4.01 and c ≈ 4.02 Å, and Ti partially remaining in the oxidation state III. The tetragonal structure was confirmed from Raman spectroscopy. 14N MAS NMR spectroscopy shows a single resonance at 270 ppm, which is typical for perovskite transition metal oxynitrides. However, largely different signal intensity for materials with very similar N content suggests N/O/vacancy ordering when prolonging nitridation times to hours. Diffuse reflectance UV-VIS spectroscopy shows a reduction of the intrinsic band gap to 2.4–2.45 eV compared to BaTiO3 (~3.2 eV). Mott-Schottky measurements confirm n-type conductivity and reveal a slight negative shift of the conduction band edge from –0.59 V (BaTiO3) to ~–0.65 eV.

Formation of PbCl2-type AHF (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) with partial anion order at high pressure

The high-pressure structures of alkaline earth metal hydride-fluorides (AHFs) (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) were investigated up to 8 GPa. While AHF adopts the fluorite-type structure (Fm3[combining macron]m) at ambient pressure without anion ordering, the PbCl2-type (cotunnite-type) structure (Pnma) is formed by pressurization, with a declining trend of critical pressure as the ionic radius of the A2+ cation increases. In contrast to PbCl2-type LaHO and LaOF whose anions are fully ordered, the H-/F- anions in the high-pressure polymorph of SrHF and BaHF are partially ordered, with a preferential occupation of H- at the square-pyramidal site (vs. tetrahedral site). First-principles calculations partially support the preferential anion occupation and suggest occupation switching at higher pressure. These results provide a strategy for controlling the anion ordering and local structure in mixed-anion compounds.

Influence of Cation (RE = Sc, Y, Gd) and O/H Anion Ratio on the Photochromic Properties of REO x H3-2x Thin Films

Rare-earth oxyhydride REO _x H_3-2x thin films prepared by air-oxidation of reactively sputtered REH₂ dihydrides show a color-neutral, reversible photochromic effect at ambient conditions. The present work shows that the O/H anion ratio, as well as the choice of the cation, allow to largely tune the extent of the optical change and its speed. The bleaching time, in particular, can be reduced by an order of magnitude by increasing the O/H ratio, indirectly defined by the deposition pressure of the parent REH₂. The influence of the cation (RE = Sc, Y, Gd) under comparable deposition conditions is discussed. Our data suggest that REs of a larger ionic radius form oxyhydrides with a larger optical contrast and faster bleaching speed, hinting to a dependency of the photochromic mechanism on the anion site-hopping.

Strain-induced creation and switching of anion vacancy layers in perovskite oxynitrides

Perovskite oxides can host various anion-vacancy orders, which greatly change their properties, but the order pattern is still difficult to manipulate. Separately, lattice strain between thin film oxides and a substrate induces improved functions and novel states of matter, while little attention has been paid to changes in chemical composition. Here we combine these two aspects to achieve strain-induced creation and switching of anion-vacancy patterns in perovskite films. Epitaxial SrVO₃ films are topochemically converted to anion-deficient oxynitrides by ammonia treatment, where the direction or periodicity of defect planes is altered depending on the substrate employed, unlike the known change in crystal orientation. First-principles calculations verified its biaxial strain effect. Like oxide heterostructures, the oxynitride has a superlattice of insulating and metallic blocks. Given the abundance of perovskite families, this study provides new opportunities to design superlattices by chemically modifying simple perovskite oxides with tunable anion-vacancy patterns through epitaxial lattice strain.

Synthesis and Photoluminescence Properties of Rare-Earth-Activated Sr3-xAxAlO4H (A = Ca, Ba; x = 0, 1): New Members of Aluminate Oxyhydrides

A series of aluminate-based oxyhydrides, Sr_3-xA_xAlO₄H (A = Ca, Ba; x = 0, 1), has been synthesized by high-temperature reaction of oxide and hydride precursors under a H₂ atmosphere. Their crystal structures determined via X-ray and neutron powder diffraction are isostructural with tetragonal Sr₃AlO₄F (space group I4/mcm), consisting of (Sr_1-x/3A_x/3)₂H layers and isolated AlO₄ tetrahedra. Rietveld refinement based on the diffraction patterns and bond-valence-sum analysis show that Ba preferentially occupies the 10-coordinated Sr1 sites, while Ca strongly prefers to occupy the 8-coordinated Sr2 sites. Luminescence owing to the 4f-5d transition of Eu²⁺ or Ce³⁺ was observed from Eu- and Ce-doped samples, Sr_3-x-yA_xB_yAlO₄H (A = Ca, Ba; B = Eu, Ce; x = 0, 1, y = 0.02), under excitation of near-ultraviolet light. Compared with its fluoride analogue, Sr₃AlO₄H:Ce³⁺ shows red shifts of both the excitation and emission bands, which is consistent with the reported hydride-based phosphors and can be explained by the covalency of the hydride ligands. The observed luminescence spectra can be decomposed into two sets of sub-bands corresponding to Ce³⁺ centers occupying Sr1 and Sr2 sites with distinctly different Stokes shifts (1.27 and 0.54 eV, respectively), as suggested by the results of constrained density functional theory (cDFT). The cDFT results also suggest that the large shift for Ce³⁺ at Sr1 is induced by large distortion of the coordinated structure with shortening of the H-Ce bond in the excited state. The current findings expand the class of oxyhydride materials and show the potential of hydride-based phosphors for optical applications.

Trapping of different stages of BaTiO3 reduction with LiH

We investigated the hydride reduction of tetragonal BaTiO₃ using LiH. The reactions employed molar H : BaTiO₃ ratios of 1.2, 3, and 10 and variable temperatures up to 700 °C. The air-stable reduced products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and ¹H magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Effective reduction, as indicated by the formation of dark blue to black colored, cubic-phased, products was observed at temperatures as low as 300 °C. The product obtained at 300 °C corresponded to oxyhydride BaTiO_∼2.9H_∼0.1, whereas reduction at higher temperatures resulted in simultaneous O defect formation, BaTiO_2.9-x H_0.1□ _x , and eventually - at temperatures above 450 °C - to samples void of hydridic H. Concomitantly, the particles of samples reduced at high temperatures (500-600 °C) display substantial surface alteration, which is interpreted as the formation of a TiO _x (OH) _y shell, and sintering. Diffuse reflectance UV-VIS spectroscopy shows broad absorption in the VIS-NIR region, which is indicative of the presence of n-type free charge carriers. The size of the intrinsic band gap (∼3.2 eV) appears only slightly altered. Mott-Schottky measurements confirm the n-type conductivity and reveal shifts of the conduction band edge in the LiH reduced samples. Thus LiH appears as a versatile reagent to produce various distinct forms of reduced BaTiO₃ with tailored electronic properties.

Borate Hydrides as a New Material Class: Structure, Computational Studies, and Spectroscopic Investigations on Sr5 (BO3 )3 H and Sr5 (11 BO3 )3 D

The unprecedented borate hydride Sr5 (BO3 )3 H and deuteride Sr5 (11 BO3 )3 D crystallizing in an apatite-related structure are reported. Despite the presence of hydride anions, the compound decomposes only slowly in air. Doped with Eu2+ , it shows broad-band orange-red emission under violet excitation owing to the 4f6 5d-4f7 transition of Eu2+ . The observed 1 H NMR chemical shift is in good agreement with previously reported 1 H chemical shifts of ionic metal hydrides as well as with quantum chemical calculations and very different from 1 H chemical shifts usually found for hydroxide ions in similar materials. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy of different samples containing 1 H, 2 H, nat B, and 11 B combined with calculations unambiguously prove the absence of hydroxide ions and the sole incorporation of hydride ions into the borate. The orange-red emission obtained by doping with Eu2+ shows that the new compound class might be a promising host material for optical applications.

Tailoring of an unusual oxidation state in a lanthanum tantalum(IV) oxynitride via precursor microstructure design

Perovskite-type oxynitrides hold great potential for optical applications due to their excellent visible light absorption properties. However, only a limited number of such oxynitrides with modulated physical properties are available to date and therefore alternative fabrication strategies are needed to be developed. Here, we introduce such an alternative strategy involving a precursor microstructure controlled ammonolysis. This leads to the perovskite family member LaTa(IV)O2N containing unusual Ta4+ cations. The adjusted precursor microstructures as well as the ammonia concentration are the key parameters to precisely control the oxidation state and O:N ratio in LaTa(O,N)3. LaTa(IV)O2N has a bright red colour, an optical bandgap of 1.9 eV and a low (optically active) defect concentration. These unique characteristics make this material suitable for visible light-driven applications and the identified key parameters will set the terms for the targeted development of further promising perovskite family members.

Freestanding Cubic ZrN Single-Crystalline Films with Two-Dimensional Superconductivity

The successful fabrication of freestanding two-dimensional (2D) crystals that exhibit unprecedented high crystal quality and macroscopic continuity renovates the conventional cognition that 2D long-range crystalline order cannot stably exist at finite temperatures. Current progresses are primarily limited to van der Waals (vdW) layered materials, while studies on how to obtain 2D materials from nonlayered bulk crystals remain sparse. Herein, we report the experimental realization of vdW-like cubic ZrN single crystal and emphasize the significant role of confined electrons in stabilizing the atomic structure at the 2D limit. Furthermore, the exfoliated ZrN single-crystal films with a few nanometers thick exhibit dimensional crossover effect of emerging 2D superconductivity with the unconventional upper critical field beyond Pauli paramagnetic limit, which suggests a dimensional effect in the pairing mechanism of dimensionally confined superconductors.

Development of Mixed-Anion Photocatalysts with Wide Visible-Light Absorption Bands for Solar Water Splitting

Rapid fossil-fuel consumption, severe environmental concerns, and growing energy demands call for the exploitation of environmentally friendly, recyclable, new energy sources. Fuel-producing artificial systems that directly convert solar energy into fuels by mimicking natural photosynthesis are expected to achieve this goal. Among them, the conversion of solar energy into hydrogen energy through the photocatalytic water-splitting process over a particulate semiconductor is one of the most promising routes due to advantages such as simplicity, cheapness, and ease of large-scale production. Abundant metal oxide photocatalysts have been developed in the last century, but most are only active under UV-light irradiation. To harvest a much wider range of the solar spectrum, the development of photocatalysts with wide visible-light absorption bands has become increasingly popular this century. Herein, a brief overview of materials developed for promising solar water splitting, with an emphasis on a mixed-anion structure and wide visible-light absorption bands, is presented, with some basic information on the principles, approaches, and research progress on the photocatalytic water-splitting reaction with particulate semiconductors. Typical progress on research into one- and two-step (Z-scheme) overall water-splitting systems by utilizing mixed-anion photocatalysts is highlighted, together with research strategies and modification methods.

Reactive Inorganic Vapor Deposition of Perovskite Oxynitride Films for Solar Energy Conversion

The synthesis of perovskite oxynitrides, which are promising photoanode candidates for solar energy conversion, is normally accomplished by high-temperature ammonolysis of oxides and carbonate precursors, thus making the deposition of their planar films onto conductive substrates challenging. Here, we proposed a facile strategy to prepare a series of perovskite oxynitride films. Taking SrTaO₂N as a prototype, we prepared SrTaO₂N films on Ta foils under NH₃ flow by utilizing the vaporized SrCl₂/SrCO₃ eutectic salt. The SrTaO₂N films exhibit solar water-splitting photocurrents of 3.0 mA cm^-2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode), which increases by 270% compared to the highest photocurrent (1.1 mA cm^-2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE) of SrTaO₂N reported in the literature. This strategy may also be applied to directly prepare a series of perovskite oxynitride films on conductive substrates such as ATaO₂N (A = Ca, Ba) and ANbO₂N (A = Sr, Ba).

Hydride Reduction of BaTiO3 - Oxyhydride Versus O Vacancy Formation

We investigated the hydride reduction of tetragonal BaTiO₃ using the metal hydrides CaH₂, NaH, MgH₂, NaBH₄, and NaAlH₄. The reactions employed molar BaTiO₃/H ratios of up to 1.8 and temperatures near 600 °C. The air-stable reduced products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and ¹H magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. PXRD showed the formation of cubic products-indicative of the formation of BaTiO_3-x H _x -except for NaH. Lattice parameters were in a range between 4.005 Å (for NaBH₄-reduced samples) and 4.033 Å (for MgH₂-reduced samples). With increasing H/BaTiO₃ ratio, CaH₂-, NaAlH₄-, and MgH₂-reduced samples were afforded as two-phase mixtures. TGA in air flow showed significant weight increases of up to 3.5% for reduced BaTiO₃, suggesting that metal hydride reduction yielded oxyhydrides BaTiO_3-x H _x with x values larger than 0.5. ¹H MAS NMR spectroscopy, however, revealed rather low concentrations of H and thus a simultaneous presence of O vacancies in reduced BaTiO₃. It has to be concluded that hydride reduction of BaTiO₃ yields complex disordered materials BaTiO_3-x H _y □_(x-y) with x up to 0.6 and y in a range 0.04-0.25, rather than homogeneous solid solutions BaTiO_3-x H _x . Resonances of (hydridic) H substituting O in the cubic perovskite structure appear in the -2 to -60 ppm spectral region. The large range of negative chemical shifts and breadth of the signals signifies metallic conductivity and structural disorder in BaTiO_3-x H _y □_(x-y). Sintering of BaTiO_3-x H _y □_(x-y) in a gaseous H₂ atmosphere resulted in more ordered materials, as indicated by considerably sharper ¹H resonances.

Expanding frontiers in materials chemistry and physics with multiple anions

During the last century, inorganic oxide compounds laid foundations for materials synthesis, characterization, and technology translation by adding new functions into devices previously dominated by main-group element semiconductor compounds. Today, compounds with multiple anions beyond the single-oxide ion, such as oxyhalides and oxyhydrides, offer a new materials platform from which superior functionality may arise. Here we review the recent progress, status, and future prospects and challenges facing the development and deployment of mixed-anion compounds, focusing mainly on oxide-derived materials. We devote attention to the crucial roles that multiple anions play during synthesis, characterization, and in the physical properties of these materials. We discuss the opportunities enabled by recent advances in synthetic approaches for design of both local and overall structure, state-of-the-art characterization techniques to distinguish unique structural and chemical states, and chemical/physical properties emerging from the synergy of multiple anions for catalysis, energy conversion, and electronic materials.

Room-Temperature Synthesis of GaN Driven by Kinetic Energy beyond the Limit of Thermodynamics

The nitridation reaction is significantly important to utilize the unique properties of nitrides and nitrogen-doped materials. However, nitridation generally requires a high temperature or highly reactive reagents (often explosive) because the energies of N-N bond cleavage and nitrogen anion formation (N^3-) are very high. We demonstrate the first room-temperature synthesis of GaN directly from GaCl₃ by nanoscale atom exchange reaction. Nonequilibrium nitrogen molecules with very high translational energy were used as a chemically stable and safe nitrogen source. The irradiation of molecular nitrogen to the desired reaction area successfully provided a gallium nitride (GaN) nanosheet that exhibited a typical photoluminescence spectrum. Because this process retains the target substrate room temperature and does not involve any photon nor charged ion, it allows damage-less synthesis of the semiconducting metal nitrides, even directly on plastic substrates such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Titanium-Based Hydrides as Heterogeneous Catalysts for Ammonia Synthesis

The problem of activating N₂ and its subsequent hydrogenation to form NH₃ has been approached from many directions. One of these approaches involves the use of transition metal hydride complexes. Recently, transition metal hydride complexes of Ti and Ta have been shown to activate N₂, but without catalytic formation of NH₃. Here, we show that at elevated temperatures (400 °C, 5 MPa), solid-state hydride-containing Ti compounds (TiH₂ and BaTiO_2.5H_0.5) form a nitride-hydride surface similar to those observed with titanium clusters, but continuously (∼7 days) form NH₃ under H₂/N₂ flow conditions to achieve a catalytic cycle, with activity (up to 2.8 mmol·g·^-1·h^-1) almost comparable to conventional supported Ru catalysts such as Cs-Ru/MgO or Ru/BaTiO₃ that we have tested. As with the homogeneous analogues, the initial presence of hydride within the catalyst is critical. A rare hydrogen-based Mars van Krevelen mechanism may be at play here. Conventional scaling rules of pure metals predict essentially no activity for Ti, making this a previously overlooked element, but our results show that by introducing hydride, the repertoire of heterogeneous catalysts can be expanded to include formerly unexamined compositions without resorting to precious metals.

Transformation of the Chromium Coordination Environment in LaCrAsO Induced by Hydride Doping: Formation of La2Cr2As2OyHx

We report the synthesis of La₂Cr₂As₂O_yH_x (0.1 < y < 1.6) oxyhydride solid solutions using a solid-state reaction under high pressure with a solid-state hydrogen source and exhibit an example of how H^- doping can also promote structural changes: H^- doping in LaCrAsO results in the formation of La₂Cr₂As₂O_yH_x with the La₂Fe₂Se₂O₃-type layered structure. Remarkably, this transformation includes a change of the coordination number of Cr from 4 to 6, with the some of the H^- being accommodated in new sites within the CrAs layers. In this way, H^- not only serves as a conventional electron dopant by the substitution of O^2- but also makes new bonds to the transition metals.

The role of π-blocking hydride ligands in a pressure-induced insulator-to-metal phase transition in SrVO2H

Transition-metal oxyhydrides are of considerable current interest due to the unique features of the hydride anion, most notably the absence of valence p orbitals. This feature distinguishes hydrides from all other anions, and gives rise to unprecedented properties in this new class of materials. Here we show via a high-pressure study of anion-ordered strontium vanadium oxyhydride SrVO₂H that H⁻ is extraordinarily compressible, and that pressure drives a transition from a Mott insulator to a metal at ~ 50 GPa. Density functional theory suggests that the band gap in the insulating state is reduced by pressure as a result of increased dispersion in the ab-plane due to enhanced V_dπ-O_pπ-V_dπ overlap. Remarkably, dispersion along c is limited by the orthogonal V_dπ-H_1s-V_dπ arrangement despite the greater c-axis compressibility, suggesting that the hydride anions act as π-blockers. The wider family of oxyhydrides may therefore give access to dimensionally reduced structures with novel electronic properties.

Incorporating hydride anions into transition metal oxides can dramatically affect their structural and electronic properties. Here the authors reveal a pressure-induced insulator-to-metal transition in SrVO₂H and show that the compressibility of hydride anions without π-symmetry valence orbitals causes them to act as π-blockers.

Pressure-Stabilized Cubic Perovskite Oxyhydride BaScO2H

We report a scandium oxyhydride BaScO₂H prepared by solid state reaction under high pressure. Rietveld refinements against powder synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction data revealed that BaScO₂H adopts the ideal cubic perovskite structure (Pm3̅m), where oxide (O^2-) and hydride (H^-) anions are disordered. ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provides a positive chemical shift of about +4.4 ppm, which can be understood by the distance to the nearest (and possibly the next nearest) cation from the H nucleus. A further analysis of the NMR data and calculations based on ab initio random structure searches suggest a partial cis preference in ScO₄H₂ octahedra. The present oxyhydride, if compositionally or structurally tuned, may become a candidate for H^- conductors.

New chemistry of transition metal oxyhydrides

In this review we describe recent advances in transition metal oxyhydride chemistry obtained by topochemical routes, such as low temperature reduction with metal hydrides, or high-pressure solid-state reactions. Besides the crystal chemistry, magnetic and transport properties of the bulk powder and epitaxial thin film samples, the remarkable lability of the hydride anion is particularly highlighted as a new strategy to discover unprecedented mixed anion materials.